Gun perforator



May 27 1952 L. SPENCER 2,598,651

GUN PERFORATOR l Filed July l, 1946 Patented May 27, 1952 .Lloydv SpencenpLose-.Angelea- -Calif.,. `assigner of .one-.third .itolllhomas C. Bannon, Almudena, .and one-third to John D. Chestnut,'Newport Beach,

Calif.

.Application July i1; 1946, Serial No. 680,649

27.-'C1a1ims. .-1 :Myinrention :relates to gun 11erlforators,y :that lS-:to .tnols :which-:are y--adapted to :be lowered into :a-fwell bore :forthe purpose fof ati-ving :bullets thmilgh the` 'surrounding fcasin'g Eand :admit ,oifl for :sus :from theformation traversed-by the -Nvell bore.

Included inthe objects cfzmy finventioniare:

First, to provide a .gun perf'crator which 'incorporates a novel .arrangement .wherein ftimeidelayrrprmernharges areelectrica-lly ignited, such changesvha'ying 1snliicient time @delay before. generating.substantialressures that alleharges becomefnlly :ignited v,before theiigrtion .circnit :is adversely affected.

Second, to provide a multiplezinnitrgun 'perforater Ayvrierein:the:several propellant .chargeszimay .beg-is;desiredetioixbmshock orzdetonation rather .than-mere ignition .to accelerate @the :rise of propellant mressure, .and thereby :increase the v'arf celerationof theibulletwor penetrating charge.

' .Ihir-d,;,to :provide aa :multiple unit .gun perforator WIri-chjncorporates anovel electric ignitionimeans which is designed .sonthatitrmay :be ,readily and quicklyxreplaced .afterveach use 'oi .the gun.

Fourtmto provide :a vgun iperforator vwhich is sectional; that is, :the `gun, perforator :may nomprise a plurality -of multiple :unit :gun lsections wh'chmay :be-eonnected'endfto :end so .that a large numbericfqshots may .be rred.

liifth :toprcvlide a novelelectricalrandrmechanz ical coupling for gun perforators idesignedjtcpermit submergence of the gun perforator to :great depths'in well liquids..

= Withthe above and :other :.objectsin Vview l:as may appear :herenraften reference is directed to the accompanying drawings,jin-which:

Figure f1 .is a fragmentaryY 'elevational view of myfggfun :perforator lFigure r2 fis ein-:enlarged transverse sectional view .through -2--2 of rFigure l.

y3 is. a fragmentary sectional view taken .th-rough a .coupling joining adjacent-,gun perforator Asectionsthe .section being Ataken substantally along the plane .defined by the line33 .of FigureZ, portionsof the electrical insulation :being shown. in elevation.

.Figure 4 is an enlargedffragmentary sectional view'through 4 4 cf Figure .2 illustrating particularly the primer ,cartridge .and the electric ignition means.

'My ,gun perforator includes aseries of gun. perforator sections or' bodies I threaded at their extremities and joined by couplings 2. .The upper coupling ls connected to a cablehead 3 suspended from the endof a conductor. .cable 4.

(CL, ISL-0.5)

.Each body 'I isl provided with a vseries offlaterally directed internally. threaded sockets A5' preferably divided vinto `sets Lfacing four .direct-ions. Amref .pellant cartridge fchamberfl :is provided-at the innerend of'eachfsocket, forming with lthe 'socket a shoulder 1.

.A -gun barrel -8 is providedfor-'eachsocket. A sealing disk-9 lis r'interposed between the-Pbreech end of each gun barrel and shoulder .1. .The'disk 9 may. be formed of soft metal, Yor `:formed of strength material located with softfrna-terial such .as -coppertor lead .in order that .a -iu'id Zand :pressure tight seal be obtained.

The gun-'barrel .is 'provided' With a guns-bore lll,- -the breech end of which is beveled slightly. A bullet II 'nts each gun bore, the base end of. the bullet is reduced slightly in diameter and fis provided with a retainer ring -I'2-'of .soft metal such `as brass or icopper preferably'fshriizik lor pressed in place and shaped to -t the bey'eled vbreech 'of the gun bore. The ldisk 9 `is.1:\1mii led with fa rcentral hole of such '.-diameter-that its margins engage retainer ring I2 toprevent 'backfward movementof the bullet into the propellant cartridge chamber 6. -The forward ,ende .cf .the .bulet is` covered by 'a seal plug 1.3, lpreferably:fof rubber, or synthetic rubber to exclude well fluids.

The chamber` 6 receives a propellant'cartridge AIAI comprising a high explosive such 'asa 'double base propellant preferably 'infiake form packed in a .suitable shell 1or container.

Each cartridge'chamber is i'ntersect'edy by a .lateral Abore I5 Kwhich is preferably `tapered Yas .it approaches the Ycartridge cham-ber. The 'bores `I 5 fromeach set yof `cartridge chambers are invertic'a'l alinernent vand `cominun'iate with al vertical :chan-Y nel I6. Thus -in the arrangement' shown having four sets of gun units, four such channels-are provided. The "channels iIIre'ceiVe an :insulated Iconductor Ilfhaving rudimentary insulated .side plugs `Whiclfl'form'contact plugs |18 fitting l'each of the bores I5. The conductors are preferably'premolded to t the channels I6 andbores 'liras well'as ends of the gun Sectionsto `be described hereinafter.

Each bore I5 receives a primer .cartridge `I9 tapered to/t the tapered portion of thebore. Each primer cartridge includes a shell 2li, rounded at one extremity and adapted tov be closed at vthe other extremity by an insulateddisk 2-I which carries a contact 22 electrically engageable with the wire in the contact plug I8. The disk .2| vsupports on its side within the primer cartridge an ignition iilament 23. The filament may be covered with an exothermic, but non-explosive l plosive.

primerV-cartridges will not ignite at once. highV pressures or explosive forcesY are exerted 1 before all theY ignition filaments have *hadV oppor- The rounded apex or extremity of theprimer cartridge I8 contains a small quantity of'high explosive 25, for example balistite may be used. Between the mixture 24 and explosive 25 is an exothermic fuze mixture involving a fuel and an oxidizing agent 26 to delay ignition of the ex One of several material suitable for y this purpose is a mixture'of potassium perchloj Y rate and asphalt. If this materialis used it may lrcoat the filament in place of Ythe matchhead Y compound 24.V Operation of the primer cartridge I9 will be described hereinafter;

The conductors I1 are held in place by bars 21 that their heads overlap theY bars as shown best i insAFigu're 2. The bars may beffurther retained 1 by longitudinallyV extendingfkey rods 29 fitting in mating vgrooves provided in the sidesr of the Vbars .i 29`andrtheir channels I6.Y The conductors are compressed lightly by the bars to seal the ignition i bores against entrance of well fluid. Y Y The extremities of Veach gunperforator section rbody areV reduced in diameter andv externally` threaded to t the couplings 2.` rThe reduci tion indiamete'r is suicient to expose the axial i ends of the bars 21. and key rods 29, Within the reduced Vthreaded ends. o f 4the gun bodies are VVThe ixtremiues'of each gun body 'within the 'couplings are provided with'caps 3| of insulating Y material which support contact plates 32.

extremitiesofthe conductors I1 are soldered to. these plates. The central portions of the plates The are' raised so that when thegun bodies are By this means .the velectrical connections between the gun'.bodi`es'"'are isolated' from` contact nwith the well fluids.- As van Yadded precaution against electrical'leakage, the interior Vwalls of the coui plings' may AbeV coated with insulating Vmaterial asindicatedby 35.` l

Operation of myigu'n perforator is as follows: 'Electrical energy to i'lre the gun perforator may be 'supplied through the cable 4 ora source 'carriedby'the gun itself and initiated by any suitable "means,

Y, *The electrical energy is, distributed simul- 1taneously to the various primer cartridges 20 through'the 'conductors I1. i tridge when ignited burns slowly at first without "excessive'heatfor rriressure.V This condition ob- .tainfs for a pferiod sufcient to insure that all primer cartridges are ignited. Y This is of primary 1 importange for, due to the necessary tolerance in Each primer cartheresistances of the vvarious ignitor elements all If n mixture 24 such as matchhead compound, that is, l l a mixture containing both a fuel and an oxidizing i agent.

n ments.

tunity to ignite their respective cartridges, the electrical connections are damaged; that is, are shorted or opened and thus in either case causing mal-functioning of the other cartridges.

In fact many prior attempts have been made, without success, to fireY alarge number of electrically ignited cartridges vsimultaneously by series or parallel connection of the ignition ele- While the reasons for such failures rmay be varied, it is my theory that the trouble is due to s pre-ignition Vof certain cartridges and damage to the electrical system before the other cartridges are ignited.

l passages 30 whichcommunicate between Vthe `channels l5 and the lextremities'of the guns. The endf'portions of the conductors I1 arefprel molded 'so that they may be insertedin thesevpassages.'

After the necessary time delay the high explosive 25 is ignited in each primer cartridge. If a material'such as balistite is employed, it

' Will not detonate, at least at first, but instead will burn; but, as it burns the pressure will increase and as the pressure increases the rate of burning will accelerate until the primer Vcartridge will burst with explosive force intoY the propellant cartridge, igniting and detonating the propellant. The force with which theV primer cartridge res willfof course be dependent on the rupture point of the walls'of the primer cartridge and therefore the primer cartridge may be pre-designed `to meet the optimum r.conditions under which the propellant should be fired. v

It should be observed that although the primer charge may function asa detonator,` neither the explosive nor the time delaymeans need have the sensitivityV of a conventional detonating1 element Vsuch as those containing '.ff-ulrninate' lof Y mercury or lead azide. Thus, the primercharge is particularly safe.1' f fi The diameter of the primer cartridges and the i 21 cannot be displaced and though spoiled for further use maintain a complete seal. Y

Having thus described certain embodiments of my invention Ido not desire to be limited thereto, but intend to claim allnoveltyinherent in the appended claims. l

Iclaim: Y Y

1. A gun perforator, comprising:V aV gun body structure incorporatingalplurality of gun units, each having a Vpropellant cartridge;V means for supplying electrical energy simultaneously to each of said -gun units; and a time delay firing means interposed between said electrical supply means and each of said propellant cartridges, said means including an electrically responsiveY igniting element, an exothermic time delay elel mentincluding a `fuel and oxidizing agent ignited by momentary heating of saidigniting ele# ment and adapted to continue to burn irrespective of continued operation of said ignition element, and means operable afteran interval determined by said time delay element for firing the corresponding propellant charge.

2. A gun perforator comprising: a gun perforator Vbody structure defining a plurality of gun bores, cartridge chambers therefor, and a conductor passage including branches communicatingwith said cartridge chambers; a conductor extending along said passage and contact means plugging said branches; a time delay means interposed between each contact means and the corresponding cartridge, said time delay means including an electrically responsive ignition element, an exothermic time delay element including a fuel and oxidizing agent ignited by momentary heating of said igniting element and adapted to continue to burn irrespective of continued operation of said ignition element and means operable after an interval determined by said time delay element for iiring the corresponding propellant cartridge.

3. A gun perforator, comprising: a gun perforator body structure deiining a plurality of gun bores, cartridge chambers therefor, a conductor channel and branches directed inwardly from the bottom of said channel and communicating with said cartridge chambers; cartridges for said cartridge chambers; a conductor extending along said channel and including integral contact plugs extending into said branches; pressure resisting means for retaining said conductor in said channel and said contact plugs in said branches against explosive pressures generated in said cartridge chambers; and an electrically ignited time delay means in said branches for iiring said cartridges.

4. A gun perforator, comprising: a gun perforator body structure defining a plurality of gun bores, cartridge chambers therefor, a conductor channel and branches directed inwardly from the bottom of. said channel and communicating with said cartridge chambers; cartridges for said cartridge chambers; a conductor extending along said channel and including integral contact plugs extending into said branches; pressure resisting means for retaining said conductor in said channel and said contact plugs in said branches against explosive pressures generated in said cartridge chambers; and a time delay means in each of said branches including an electrically responsive igniting element, and an exothermic time delay element ignited thereby and adapted to continue to burn after ignition irrespective of continued operation of said ignition element, for delaying firing of the corresponding cartridge until all of said igniting elements connected with said conductor have initiated their respective time delay elements.

5. In a gun perforator wherein a plurality of gun units are fired simultaneously by a common electrical supply. the combination of a time delay means interposed between said electrical supply and each of said gun units, each of said time delay means including an electrically responsive ignition element and an exothermic time delay element, including a fuel and oxidizing agent ignited thereby and adapted to continue to burn after ignition irrespective of continued operation of said ignition element for delaying iiring of the corresponding gun unit until all of said ignition elements connected with said electrical supply have initiated their respective time delay elements.

6. A gun perforator, comprising: a cylindrical body structure defining a plurality of gun units each including a gun bore and cartridge chember, said body structure also deiining an ignition bore intersecting each cartridge chamber and a longitudinally extending conductor channel traversing said ignition bores; a conductor fitting said channel and including a contact for each ignition bore; an electrical initiated primer cartridge in each ignition bore; a retainer bar in said channel backing said conductor; and means for securing said bar therein against explosive pressures generated in said ignition bores and cartridge chambers.

'7. A gun perforator, comprising: a cylindrical body structure deiining a plurality of gun units each including a gun bore and a vcartridge chamber, said body structure also deiining an ignition bore intersecting each cartridge chamber and a longitudinally extending conductor channel traversing and communicating with said ignition bores; a conductor fitting said channel and including a contact for each ignition bore; explosive cartridges in said cartridge chambers; electrical ignition means therefor associated with said contacts; a retainer bar in said channel backing said conductor; and means for securing said bar therein against explosive pressures in said ignition bores and cartridge chambers.

LLOYD SPENCER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,210,192 Turechek Aug. 6, 1940 2,216,145 Turechek Oct. 1, 1940 2,266,341 Spencer Dec. 16, 1941 2,363,234 Doll Nov. 21, 1944 

